The Tony and Olivier-award-winning musical based on the unlikely friendship and business partnership between a shy young man and a drag queen is simply sensational entertainment.

With music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein, this heart-warming show which originated on Broadway and moved to the West End tells how cabaret performer Lola helps to save a struggling Northampton shoe factory by creating a new range of shoes for cross-dressers.

Lola and her team of drag performers bring a spring in the step of a factory workforce that faces acceptance issues in a race against time to deliver the boots to a footwear fair in Milan.

Kayi Ushe brings a powerful voice, high-octane dancing and sensitivity, to a bravura performance as Lola, while Joel Harper-Jackson provides an excellent foil as Charlie who inherits the business.

Paula Lane makes for a witty down-to-earth Lauren, who captures Charlie’s heart as the shop worker who gives him the idea of a searching out a niche market.

The show, at around two hours in performance, simply races along, with excellent lighting helping to create scenes within scenes almost seamlessly.

A top-rate orchestra backs some memorable pop and rock numbers including most notably, Sex is in the Heel, and the concluding Raise You Up, an anthem that brought the entire audience to their feet.This is a show not to be missed.